Shock Update After Teacher’s Suspension Raises Eyebrows
A teacher suspended for misconduct has been found working at another school, prompting an urgent review of hiring practices in Western Australia.
Perth, Australia, Teacher Misconduct, Suspension, Education Review
Perth: So, there’s been quite a stir over a teacher who got suspended for some pretty serious stuff. Turns out, he managed to land a job at another school after his suspension. Can you believe that?
This all started when Thomas James Winter Norman was suspended for eight months back in 2022. He had some inappropriate feelings for a student and crossed a lot of lines with her. He was sending her messages and emails that were way out of bounds.
Despite that, he’s been teaching at Hampton Senior High School for over a year now. It’s wild to think someone with that kind of history could just move on to another school without anyone noticing.
Before this, he worked at Iona Presentation College, where he taught the same student from 2014 to 2017. After classes ended, he even gave her a card saying she was important to him. That’s just not okay!
He told her he’d miss her and that their chats were the highlight of his day. He even asked her to go for a walk, which she turned down. It’s just a messy situation all around.
The tribunal that looked into this found he was young and inexperienced at the time, and he felt really sorry for what he did. He even resigned after the student complained in 2021.
Education Minister Tony Buti is on it, saying this is a serious issue and that parents are right to be concerned. He’s called for an immediate review of how teachers are hired and registered in the state.
It’s a big deal, and the Department of Education is being asked to step up and make sure this doesn’t happen again. Parents deserve to know their kids are safe at school.